By Sarrah Peters, News Editor
Noccalula Falls’ Smoke on the Falls will celebrate its 10-year anniversary this year. The barbeque competition will be held on April 12 and 13. This event is sanctioned by the Kansas Barbeque Society.
Admission will be free on Friday, April 12. Gates will be open from 4 to 7 p.m. A sausage cook-off sponsored by Jimmy Dean Sausage will take place. Competitors may make any dish they like but may only use Dean Sausage as the dishes’ meat component.
At 5 p.m. on Friday, Noccalula Falls will hold a ribbon cutting for the Black Creek Trail System’s fourth phase, which includes a kid-friendly skills course and connector trails. Noccalula Falls will host a guided tour of the new trails.
On Saturday, April 13, tickets are $5 and entrance is free for children ages 3 and under. Gates will open at 10 a.m. The Coca-Cola Fun Zone, AG in Action, The Factory’s Challenge Course, inflatables and more will provide a ton of fun for children. The Ag in Action will teach kids how to pick cotton and milk cows with a mechanical cow. As always, there will be food and arts and crafts venders.
The Oscar Meyer Weinermobile will be at the event. Visitors can meet the Hotdoggers and receive Wiener Whistles, stickers and more. Talladega Superspeedway’s official pace car will be at the festival, and attendees can enter to win two tickets to the Talladega Speedway.
At 10:30 a.m., the Gadsden State Jazz Band will take to the Riverview Medical Music Stage to perform. From 2 to 4 p.m., Parrothead Beach Band will perform. At 12:30 p.m., the Popeyes chicken wing and biscuit eating contest will be held.
This year the Coosa Landshark Parrot Head Club, a Jimmy Buffet fan club, will be holding a Cheeeseburgers in Paradise Contest. Contestants can create their own unique burgers, complete with creative names.
Of course, the main attraction is the barbecue competition, which will be divided into professional and backyard categories. The high score overall for ribs will win a package from Pearl River Resort in honor of the event’s 10-year anniversary year of the pig.
“This is the year of the pig, so we chose the rib category to give that package to,” said Parks and Rec Director Janet Tarrance.
Competitors with pink bows will be giving out free samples of their food.
The awards ceremony will be at 4 p.m. and over $12,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded.
For more information, contact Janet Tarrance at 256-549-4680 or jtarrance@cityofgadsden.com.